Teether and Pacifier Clip

If you have a baby in your house, chances are you have some pacifiers in the house as well. And if you have some pacifiers in the house, then you’ve probably seen them be dropped (or purposefully thrown) on the floor over and over again. Now, there are plenty of times when we are home that a dropped pacifier lands in a clean spot where it can be given right back to baby, but sometimes … not so much. Especially when we are out and about, dropped pacis and toys can mean they are out of commission until being cleaned properly, and that’s where pacifier clips come in! As a new mom, I didn’t know about the clips until I figured out that we needed some, and they are such lifesavers. We use them a lot to connect toys to in restaurants or coffee shops, etc., so we don’t have to worry about things falling on the floor. And since she started teething early at 3 months (!!), it’s been helpful to have clips that she can teethe on as well as play with the toy or paci. I had bought some super cute silicone bead clips recently, but I realized that they were both shorter than I would have liked and the type of clip wouldn’t stay clipped for more than two seconds. I still liked the idea of the clip that doubles as a teether so I decided to make my own and make them the length I wanted with a stronger clip as well. Turns out they are super easy to make and I added some wooden beads in there as well since babies like to bite on different textures (some like harder and some like softer things).Supplies:-silicone beads (for teething use I would look for ones that are BPA-free and food grade silicone) -unfinished wooden beads (a variety pack like this is great, as they are unfinished, sanded, and intended for baby use) -3/8″ grosgrain ribbon -large needle big enough to thread ribbon through -baby snap setter with size 16 snaps (make sure to get snaps meant for use on baby items as they will be most secure) –metal pacifier clips (so far metal clips like these are by far my favorite for this type of item—they stay on so well!) -lighter

Cut a long piece of ribbon, much longer than you want your teether to be. Hold a lighter flame about 1″ away from the cut end of the ribbon and any frays will melt and seal off the end. Fold over 1″ of your ribbon and use your large needle (or the pointed awl that your snap kit comes with) to poke a hole thorough both layers about 1/4″ away from the end of the ribbon (this is where you’ll put your snap).Follow your snap setter directions and attach one of your snap ends into your first hole …… and attach the other side of your snap into the other hole so that the snaps will be facing each other. Inspect and pull on all parts of snap to make sure it was attached properly and securely. Snap your pacifier clip onto that end and tie a knot right above your snap.Use your large needle to thread your silicone and wooden beads into the teether in whatever pattern you like! I added about 6 1/2″ of beads.Tie a knot at the top of your bead chain.Cut your ribbon off 2″ away from the knot (cut it longer if you want to use it around toys as well as pacis) and repeat the process of punching a hole and inserting your snaps like you did on the bottom.That’s it! Your new teether is done! Since these are made of several different materials, I wouldn’t try to put this in a sterilizer to clean, but I wipe off with hot water as needed (or you could use an antibacterial wipe that’s safe for baby’s mouth).Adorable! The snaps are really handy to switch out pacis and toys and a lot of these types of teethers have them (make sure to get the plastic snaps that are meant to be used on baby items) but if you’d rather do without them, you can always sew your ribbon loops closed instead. Grosgrain is a really strong ribbon (I don’t think Todd or I could pull a piece in half if we tried!) so using that with a knot on each end should keep those beads safely in place. Lola has two top teeth coming in right now so she was eager to start chomping on this one immediately after I handed it to her. With any teething toy or necklace with beads like this, don’t leave baby unsupervised while they are using it. I have a ribbon-only clip that I use for her in the car since I can’t see her clearly while she’s in her carseat and then I have her play with one of these when we get to the restaurant or destination. These would also make a great baby gift for showers or new mama friends since you can make a big batch of them at once! xo. Laura

Yes, I agree. I commented on the previous baby post but it was deleted. I worry that people making their own projects like this won’t do it correctly or strong enough to make it safe. It also concerns me that these kinds of comments are being deleted. I love this site so much but having worked in the parenting space for many years and having worked with a lot of experts on baby product safety, these types of DIYs do not seem safe.

Hi Gigi! I definitely understand your concern for sure, I would certainly never give something to my Baby that I felt was unsafe. Using a strong ribbon like grosgrain and knotting it on each side of the beads is a very secure way to create one of these. Like I said, I wouldn’t leave her alone with one of these just in case in the same way that I monitor when she’s eating solid food, but I think these can be safe for babies to teethe on when made strongly. Of course, it’s up to every Mom to decide what they feel comfortable with so let your Mama instincts be your guide!

The beads worry me, too BUT Target sells tethers with the exact same silicone beads. I have a necklace with these beads meant for baby teething while I wear it. But never to be used without mom watching.

Laura, I have a Lolo who is about Lola’s age! It’s a fun age, and your baby is darling.

I purchased a beaded paci clip for her from a local resale boutique. The beads have crochet around them. It’s quite secure, and I rather suspect your grosgrain one is, too. We only allow paci clips when we can supervise, too, and between twin 2yo and the baby, we’re regularly inspecting and purging worn out broken things.

I’ve come to associate A Beautiful Mess with a more healthy approach to life. These last few diys have really confused me. If a diy produces a product that would never pass regulations passed by the Child Safety Protection Act then it’s a dangerous product to teach people to make. Please don’t wait until a child has died to make a good choice here…. This is beautiful stuff as always- just consult with a pediatrician first. I’m sure there’s a way to re-make this project into something that’s as safe as it is pretty.

I agree with many of the posters about this and the previous baby DIY. There are so many great baby DIYs like homemade baby food or creating your own non-toxic baby supplies that I’m surprised by these toys that are such chocking hazards. No parent can watch a baby every second and why risk making a homemade toy that’s intended to be chewed on? How do these hold up long-term after hours of wet chewing from a kid?

Beautiful! On safety, I would like to add that you may want to mention the recommended maximum length in order to avoid it being a strangling hazard, hadn’t thought about the choking. My little one’s clip has beads that are similar in size as the ones you used. I love the idea of using the buttons to make it easy to clip and unclip the pacifier!

These are adorable! I don’t have a little punchy tool like that, so I’m not sure of a way to make these without it (since I don’t anticipate using something like that for much else), but I still like the idea!

When I first saw the post I thought it seemed kind of unsafe but after seeing how well thought out and well made it is I would have no concerns giving this to a baby. It would take a lot for a baby to somehow choke on this. People need to chill.